But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
John 6:20

It is interesting that the experience of Jesus calming the storm appears between the feeding of the five thousand with five small barley loaves of bread and two small fish and the Lord’s declaration, “I am the Bread of Life.” This is actually very significant. This is really the foundation for the seven “I am” statements.

We learn from Matthew’s account that the Lord compelled, constrained, or strongly urged His disciples to get into the boat and cross before Him to the other side (Mt. 14:22). When the storm arose, causing the winds and waves to toss their boat all over, it was then that the Lord appeared. While they were in the midst of the storm, the Lord Jesus had been up on the mountain praying! This is a picture of Him as our great High Priest, who ever lives to make intercession for us! But it was at this time, in the midst of the storm, that the Lord revealed Himself. He appeared to them during their darkest time and said, “It is I; do not be afraid.” This is a powerful statement! This phrase, “It is I,” in the Greek, “ego eimi,” can be translated, “I Am.”

The Great I AM appeared to them in the midst of the storm they were going through, and when they willingly received Him into their boat, the storm was over. The Lord had no desire for them to remain ignorant as to who He was, and He did not want them to remain in fear!

In John 18:6, when the soldiers came to arrest the Lord Jesus and He asked, “Whom are you seeking?” they replied, “Jesus of Nazareth,” and He declared, “I am He.” This statement caused those who did not believe in the Lord to be fearful and fall backward! But in Luke 24:39, these same words, “It is I Myself,” removed the fear from the troubled hearts of His followers, just as they did for the aged apostle John when he was revived by the same declaration, “I am the First and the Last” (Rev. 1:17).

Anchor For Today:
When you pass through the storms of this life and fear starts to engulf you, remember that it is then that the Lord Jesus, the Great I AM, will reveal Himself to you in a powerful way and say to you, “Be of good cheer; do not be afraid.”